Dam-Ayido Wede (Earth-616)
or Dan-Ayido-Hwedo | CurrentAlias = Damballah | CurrentAliasRef = (Haitian name) | Aliases = Papa Serpent, Serpent God, Snake-God, "Bon Dieu" ("the Good God" in French), Agaou Wedo, Anviewo, Dam-Ayido, Dan Houeza, Dan Petro, Dan Yi, Dangbe, Danger, Danger Mina, Danh, Dumballah, Damballa, Lwa Damballah Wedo (Niger-Congo) | Identity = Public | Affiliation = Vodu (African gods) | Relatives = Buluku (grandfather); Gaea/Nana (grandmother); Lusa (father); Mahu (mother); Ayida Wede (wife); Avlekete, Ezili/Oshun, Oya (sisters); Sagbata/Baron Samedi (twin brother); Age, Eschu/Eleggua, Legba, Ogun, Shango (brothers); Anansi (uncle); numerous others | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = | Gender = Male | Height = 12'0" | Height2 = (Variable) | Weight = 300 lbs | Weight2 = (Variable) | Eyes = Black | Eyes2 = (Variable) | Hair = No hair | Hair2 = (Variable) | UnusualSkinColour = Green | UnusualFeatures = Usually takes on a large serpentine form: scales | CharRef = , , | Citizenship = Ala | MaritalStatus = Married | Occupation = God of the dead; God of serpents; Sky Father (misrepresentation for the Santerian believers) | Education = | Origin = Vodu | PlaceOfBirth = Orun, the Great Beyond | Creators = Roy Thomas; Gene Colan | First = Dracula Lives #2 | HistoryText = Origin Dam-Ayido Wede or Dan-Ayido-Hwedo was the son of Lusa and Mahu, and twin brother to Sagbata. He was born in Orun, the Great Beyond. He started as a relatively minor member of the Vodu pantheon. He was either mistaken for the Set-Spawn known as Damballah, or impersonated him, deliberately usurped his identity and worshippers. 16th century In the 16th century, at the start of the Atlantic slave trade, Dam-Ayido followed his enslaved worshippers to the Caribbean and to the USA's Gulf Coast. The slaves sought solace from their ancient gods, combining them with elements from Catholicism and the Holy Roman Church. Vodu worship was consequently bastardized into: * "Vaudou" and later "voodoo" (due to confusion with the French "vaudois", a French heresy) in Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti). * In Cuba, this merger combined to indigenous American beliefs became known as Santeria. Dam-Ayido changed his image to comport with Western culture. He adopted the name Damballah and posed as the Vodu Sky Father and creator of the world to his worshipers, usurping his grandfather Buluku and achieving far greater prominence in the New World. Consequently, Damballah was invoked by many Haitian voodoo practitioners, over Lusa, Mahu or Buluku. | Powers = Seemingly those conventional to all Vodu, including: *'Superhuman physical abilities' **''Superhuman Strength:'' He can lift 25 tons. *'High resistance to disease, injury and aging' Though he appears as a snake, he can presumably shapeshift into human or other forms. He can manipulate certain undefined occult energies associated with curses and the underworld which grants him powers over life and death. He can grant his mortals followers with powers such as mesmerizing and controlling others. | Abilities = | Strength = | Weaknesses = | Equipment = | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = * In the real world Voodoo Religion, Damballah is a benevolent figure, not a villainous one. | Trivia = | Marvel = | Wikipedia = | Links = * Damballah at the Guide to the Mythological Universe * Damballah at the Appendix to the Marvel Universe }} Category:Serpent Form Category:Death Deities Category:Animals Deities